Resting Peacefully
by reilert79
Summary: Chris and David help Lisa resolve things, and Mary Beth and Chris get a surprise from Feldberg.


Resting Peacefully

***Chris and David's apartment***

Chris wakes up on Saturday. She absolutely loved the fact that she didn't have to set an alarm today.

Lisa went home from the hospital 2 days ago, and is staying at the W with her parents. Brian and Amy will be in town a few more days to get Lisa settled. She was getting stronger every day, and feeling more and more resilient. Chris was glad that horrible piece of shit was out of Lisa's life for good.

She stretched, and rolled over. Lazy Saturday mornings were her favorite. She nestled back into David's arms and fell back asleep. Just a few minutes later, her phone went off, indicating that she had a text.

It was from Isbecki.

"Chris, I was just on shift, and it came over our radio. Dory McKenna passed away last night. They think it was a heart attack. I am so sorry, I know he meant a lot to you".

"Isbecki, are you sure?"

"Yes, Christine. I am sure. I am so sorry".

"Thanks".

She got up and took her phone and went to the kitchen. She made herself a cup of coffee, and went and sat out on the balcony. She couldn't help but think about all the happy times she had with him. They had fallen in love fast and hard, and when it was over, it hurt like hell. But she had learned a lot from the relationship, and even though it ended badly, she was glad she had dated him. He taught her what love should feel like, and that helped because when she met David, she knew. But he also taught her how horrible it was to lose that one person you loved more than anyone, so when she met David, she kept him at a distance. She tried like hell to not let Dory's drug use come between them, but him doing drugs at Mary Beth's house was wrong, and she couldn't look the other way on that. She hated breaking up with him, but she knew it was the right choice. And if she hadn't, she wouldn't have met David, and they wouldn't be together now. She tried to focus on the blessings in her life, but she was a little sad that he had passed away.

David came out a little while later and found her out there.

"Hey babe, you ok?"

He sat down on their patio couch next to her.

"Yeah, I guess so. Isbecki texted me and told me that a guy from the force that I dated a long time ago passed away. Just took me by surprise is all".

"Well, if he hadn't meant something to you, you wouldn't feel anything by his passing, babe. Were you two serious when you dated?"

"He wanted me to marry him".

"Well, it's only natural that you would feel sad about it."

"You're right. But I am not going to wallow in it, because my life with you is so much better".

"That's my girl".

He kissed her and they sat out there for a little bit just watching the city below them. She sent Mary Beth a text telling her about Dory, and she responded with condolences. She wasn't a fan of Dory McKenna's, but she knew how much he had meant to Chris.

She texted Lisa to see how she was doing, and Lisa replied that she was walking much better and had actually slept last night without needing a pain pill.

"Mom and Dad are taking me to lunch today and then to see my new place! Daddy bought it yesterday, I can't wait for you to see it, Aunt Chris".

"Me too, sweetie. Glad you are doing better!"

"Daddy wants to know if you and David want to join us for dinner tonight? Del Posto, at 6?"

She asked David.

"Sure, sounds great, babe".

She responded yes. Lisa replied back with "Yay! They told us we have to dress up, it's fine dining. See you then".

She told David it was fine dining, and he smiled at her. "You all dressed up means I can't keep my hands off you, babe". He kissed the side of her head and went inside and cooked them breakfast.

After a breakfast of fresh fruit, and his famous blueberry waffles with whipped cream and syrup, and fresh squeezed orange juice, they cleaned up the kitchen together.

"What do you want to do today, honey? It's 9:45, and we don't have to get ready for dinner till around 4".

"Something relaxing. Something with you".

"How about we go lay by the pool upstairs?"

"Great idea".

She went and changed into her pink and gray zebra bikini with the pink bottoms, and a coverup dress. She packed them a pool bag with towels and sunscreen while David was changing into his board shorts. She grabbed their Yeti cups and filled them with ice and water, and as soon as he was changed, they were ready to go.

They headed upstairs to the pool to relax.

***Pool***

Chris and David got to the pool, and went to the adult side. David grabbed two rafts out of storage, and Chris set up their chairs. She sprayed herself with sunscreen and then she took off her coverup and she climbed in the pool. David sprayed himself with sunscreen, and then started blowing up the rafts. After he was finished, she climbed onto one of them and he climbed onto the other. They held hands and floated in the sun the rest of the day.

Around 3, he climbed off and got them some water. She swung off the raft and laid across it with her arms and chest, and drank her water while she sunned her back.

At 3:45, they packed up and went inside.

***Chris and David's apartment***

They came in and Chris took their towels to the laundry room, and then headed to get ready for dinner. She showered and washed her hair, and then blew it dry. She had really gotten a great, dark tan at the pool. After she was done blow drying her hair, she did her makeup, and then flat ironed her hair quickly. She went to the closet to pick out what she was going to wear, just as David was coming into shower. She finally picked her red bandage sheath dress with the short sleeves, and some black strappy heels. She selected her purse first, and went and changed purses. This one tonight was a black sequined clutch, that she used for weddings and special events.

David came out and quickly put on his suit, and told her he was going to run to the ATM on the corner and get them some cash just in case.

"Ok honey. Be careful".

He kissed her goodbye and headed out.

She went and changed into her dress, and then she chose her jewelry- the diamond earrings he had given her for her last birthday, and the diamond bracelet that Charlie had given her when she was 16.

"Miss you Pop. Love you".

She touched up her makeup, and gave her hair a few straightening touchups and then put her shoes on. She heard David coming back in the apartment.

"Babe, you ready?"

She grabbed her purse and walked into the den.

He whistled at her. "You are stunning, babe". She went to him and kissed him. "You look pretty sexy in that suit yourself, Counselor".

They headed to the car so they could head to the restaurant.

After helping her into the car, he shut the door and then got in the driver's seat.

She plugged the address into her phone's mapping App, and they let Siri tell them how to get there.

"Happy date night to us, babe". He leaned over and kissed her.

"we haven't been on a date in a long time. We need to revive that tradition".

They got to the restaurant and parked In the parking garage.

***Del Posto***

Chris and David walked in and found that Brian, Ann, and Lisa weren't there yet. Bridgit was there though, but she was talking on the phone.

"Yes, just make her a bottle at 8:30, and she should take it and go to sleep pretty easily. Thanks Alyssa".

She hung up, and then turned and saw Chris and David.

"Whoa, Aunt Chris. You are a knockout in that dress! You look so beautiful".

She was wearing a sequined strapless jumpsuit with Tory Burch flats.

"You look gorgeous too, Bridgit".

Brian, Ann, and Lisa were walking in. Lisa had on a bright green spaghetti strap dress with black flats, and Ann had on a dress she had bought that day-a raspberry strapless dress that was sequined. It was like a cocktail dress, but prettier. She paired it with black heels. Brian was in a suit, like he always wore. He looked a lot like Charlie in that way.

Everyone agreed that Chris looked amazing, and told her so.

"Lisa, you look so pretty in that dress!"

"Thanks, Aunt Chris. It looks better with heels, but mom thought I might hurt my ribs if I was in anything but flats".

"Your mother is right".

The hostess showed them to their table then, and it was a big square table. There were 6 of them, so it was like 2 people on each side. Even though there were other tables of people all around them, it felt intimate and cozy.

They all ordered drinks, and Brian ordered them some appetizers. The waitress brought their drinks.

Chris held hers up, and said "To Lisa. Thank God you are still here with us, and he is where he belongs".

Bridgit went next. "To my sissy, and best friend, and the best aunt Charli could have, with the exception of Aunt Chris, of course. And now, you are going to be my neighbor".

Brian went next. "To my beautiful daughter, who makes me proud every day."

Ann said "To my bella angel, my sweet girl, who makes me so proud and happy"

David rounded out the toasts, with "To our beautiful and strong, resilient niece".

They all clinked glasses and drank. Then Lisa raised her glass, and said "to my wonderful family, I wouldn't have gotten through this week without all of you". They clinked glasses and drank again.

Their appetizers came and they all had a few bites.

Lisa pulled up her purse and got out a couple gifts.

She handed one to Bridgit, and told her "Thanks for caring enough about me to stay up till the wee hours and to call for help when you knew I needed it". Bridgit teared up, and opened it. It was a beautiful gold watch, and the inscription on the back said "Forever my sister".

She handed one to Aunt Chris, and said "If you hadn't called the ambulance and had me taken to the hospital, I wouldn't be here right now. And then you went above and beyond and put him behind bars for life and busted him on tons of stuff. You are the best cop in NYC, but you are an even better aunt, and I hope that I am half the aunt to Charli that you are to me".

Chris had tears streaming down her face. "Thank you sweetheart". She opened her gift, and saw that it was a beautiful sapphire necklace on a gold chain from Kendra Scott.

"Lisa, it's beautiful, thank you".

David put it on her, as she held her hair up.

"Looks great on you babe".

"Thanks honey".

She passed another present to David this time. "David, this one is for you. Not only did you come and spend the whole day with all of us at the hospital, but you picked my parents up from the airport, you moved my belongings from his apartment to your storage unit with a moment's notice, and even though you barely know me, you have accepted me since the day you met me, which was your and Aunt Chris' wedding day. And then you got me a restraining order, and made sure that Nick cannot hurt me again. Thank you just doesn't cover it, but this might start to". He opened it, and found that it was a beautiful wooden pen, with a gold clip. It had his name engraved in it.  
"This is the nicest thing I have ever been given, Lisa. Thank you so much".

She turned to her parents. "Mom and Dad, you flew out here to take care of me with literally moment's notice, you gave up your lives to see me get better, you bought me a new apartment and you haven't once told me what you should be telling me, that this was all my fault, and that I was a fool, and that I should have known better. I can't thank you enough for coming out here and helping me get better and helping me move on with my life from this mess I got myself into. So, this is for both of you".

She slid them a box, and Brian let Ann open it. It was a pair of tickets to the San Francisco 49'er's home opening football game, which was coming up in a few weeks.

"How on earth did you get all this?"

"Well, today when you gave me money to get a dress, I went to my bank to see if I had anything left. I had a little, but not a lot. The bank is going to reverse a lot of charges, but not till Monday. So I went to work to see if I had a paycheck, and there was one. And I borrowed this dress, and I bargained with a coworker that I would stay late for him twice in a row without question in exchange for the tickets. I cashed my paycheck, and we have a store that we can buy things from at work, and I shopped in there. I found Bridgit's watch, and David's pen; I bought them both and then I went and bought Aunt Chris' necklace, and then I took Bridgit's and David's gift to be engraved while I waited. I stopped at Walgreens, bought wrapping paper, and then went back to the hotel. You two were still sleeping when I came back, so I was able to wrap all of the gifts before you woke up. And I didn't put anything on your credit card".

Ann reached over and hugged her daughter. "You are so precious".

The waitress came and took their appetizers away, and they placed their dinner orders.

"So when do you move into your new place, Lisa?"

"Tomorrow, if we can find a moving company".

David grabbed his wallet, and pulled out the business card of his buddy who owned NYC movers, and handed it to Brian. "This is the guy who did it for us the other night".

"Thanks, I appreciate that".

"What do you still need for your new place, honey?"

"Dishes, curtains, a bedspread, lamps, cookware, bakeware, a shower curtain, some rugs for the bathroom and den, patio furniture, a new wireless stereo speaker…I could go on and on".

"Well, when you feel up to it, I am happy to go shopping with you and to help you set things up. And of course, you can always order it online and have it delivered. Have you decided how long you are taking off work?"

"Well, with Mrs. Watson's ouster, we are all on a 30-day paid work stoppage. So I am going to use that time to recover and rest and get my apartment together. And when I go back, if we don't have improved security, I will put in my notice and then find a job in a place that is safer".

"That's a great plan".

Their food arrived then, and they all dug in. Everything was delectable. Chris and David were feeding each other bites of their plates, it was so cute. Chris ate till she could hardly move. Brian ordered Lisa's favorite dessert for the table- chocolate cheesecake with coconut shavings. The waiter brought it and cut a piece for everyone, and they all enjoyed as much of it as they could stand.

David asked the waitress for the check, and Brian spoke up. "No sir, this dinner is on me. You two have been so gracious and so helpful-this is my treat".

"Thank you Brian, that's very kind of you".

Chris looked at Brian. "You know, I could get used to having my brother back in New York. You two have a grandkid now- you ever think about moving back home?"

"It's crossed my mind. Nothing too serious, though".

He paid the check, and they boxed up their leftovers. Chris knew she would enjoy having pasta and meatballs tomorrow.

They stood up and headed out to the lobby.

"You guys up for a nightcap somewhere?"

"Sorry daddy, I have to go pay the babysitter. We will see you tomorrow though, for breakfast at 9". She kissed Brian and Ann and Lisa and Chris and David, and then Bridgit hailed a cab and headed home.

Lisa looked at Brian. "I just want to go lay down. I'm beat".

He put her in a cab and sent her back to the hotel.

"David and I are headed home too. We would love to help you move tomorrow though, if you need the help".

"That would be great, thank you". They all hugged and shook hands, and then Chris and David headed to the parking garage, to go home.

***Chris and David's apartment***

Chris came in and headed to take her shoes off. David put their leftovers into the fridge, and then headed to change clothes.

She was taking her jewelry off, and finding a new place for her beautiful new necklace in her jewelry armoire. She saw David come in and she went over to him.

"Honey, will you unzip me?" She held her hair up and turned her back to him.

"With pleasure". He unzipped her as he kissed her neck.

She turned around and loosened his tie, as he wrapped his arms around her waist.

"It was a great date night with you, Mr. Keeler".

"I enjoyed it with you as well, Mrs. Keeler".

She kissed him, and they embraced for several minutes.

He looked at his watch. "It's 9 p.m. You up for some hot tub time?"

She nodded. "That will help me relax, and I love relaxing with you".

She slipped her dress off and went to put on a swimsuit. She was standing in the closet in a black thong and black strapless bra. David caught a glimpse, and said "Damn, I'm a lucky man". She smiled at him and he headed outside to start the hot tub.

He came back in and put on his board shorts while she made them drinks and got the speaker and the music going.

They went outside and climbed into the hot tub.

"Babe, anything you wear is my favorite, but this bathing suit looks especially hot on you. Good choice". He kissed her.

"Thanks honey." She kissed him back. She had on a black bandeau type ruffled swim top and some bright purple bottoms. Her deep tan made the bathing suit look better than normal on her.

She sat in front of a jet, and handed David his drink.

"Cheers to the hottest wife in town. Thank god she's mine". He clinked her glass.

"Cheers to the sexiest lawyer in town, thank god he's mine". They clinked again, kissed, and then took a sip.

Chris looked up at the stars and leaned her head on David's shoulder.

They soaked for about 20 minutes, and then she put her drink on the table next to the hot tub.

She wrapped her arms around David's neck and swung her legs over his lap. She kissed him. They spent about 30 minutes just kissing and enjoying each other.

"I am so in love with you, Chris". He nibbled on her neck.

"I am in love with you two, David. I am so glad you made your way back to me and we made it permanent".

She kissed him and he pulled her on to his lap, and she straddled his lap and wrapped her arms around his neck. He squeezed her boobs and kissed her several times and she ran her hands through his hair. He untied her bikini top and licked her nipples and she reached down and untied his board shorts. They had sex right there in the hot tub, and then he picked her up and carried her inside to the bedroom.

It was one of the most romantic nights they had spent in a long time.

***Sunday***

They woke up around 8, and Chris texted Brian. "2 movers ready and willing and somewhat able. Just tell us what time to show up".

"9 a.m. your storage unit. You can follow us to Lisa's building after we load up the van".

"Ok, will do. If you guys want to have breakfast here, come at 8:30. We will have bagels, cream cheese, lox, fruit and juice".

"Sounds great. See you at 8:30. Bridgit and Charli are coming too."

Chris jumped up and showered and put on yoga pants and a racerback tank and her tennis shoes. She called the deli across the street and placed an order for 15 bagels, 5 cream cheeses, and a bowl of fresh fruit. David showered and changed, and went to go pick it up while she squeezed fresh orange juice for everyone.

He got back at 8:25, and was just ahead of Brian, Ann, Lisa, Bridgit and Charli.

"Morning, morning. Come on in".

"Lisa, your eye is looking so much better! And you are standing up straighter too".

"It's amazing, Aunt Chris. I woke up this morning almost feeling like my old self and having so much energy. Hope it's not a fluke".

They all had a quick breakfast and Chris and Ann cleaned up. Bridgit started feeding Charli a bottle, over on the couch.

The moving van showed up at 9:15, and David and Brian went downstairs to meet them and open the storage unit. Moving day had officially begun.

Ann had gone shopping last night after dinner, and picked up lots of things for Lisa's apartment. She put the bags in the back of Chris' car, and then Chris drove Lisa and Charli and Bridgit and Ann to Lisa's new building. It took about an hour to get Lisa's things loaded into the van for moving. David called her when they were about 10 minutes from being finished, and she came back and picked him and Brian up, and they all went back to the new apartment. She had chosen the one that was 3 streets away from Chris and David's place, so only about 4 blocks away. It had assigned parking in the parking garage, and lots of security. She had to tell the guard they were moving in that day just to get in.

As soon as the van pulled up, they started bringing furniture up. Bridgit and Lisa were living on the 7th floor, and their building had 2 elevators-one for large deliveries and one for residents. The doorman directed them to the large delivery elevator and they filled it up, while David and Brian went upstairs. Lisa was directing the movers over where to put the furniture while Chris and Ann were unpacking the new things and putting them away.

Brian had bought her some appliances that were going to be delivered today as well- a new refrigerator, washer and dryer, dishwasher and microwave. Comcast was coming as well to hook up everything.

Lisa hadn't seen everything Ann bought, so she was excited to open all the bags. Bridgit had brought a Pak n' Play for Charli, and after she got her set up in that, she went and started hanging up the shower curtain in the bathroom. They had brought the bed in and Brian was putting it together. Best Buy showed up about 20 minutes later and had all of her appliances to deliver and install. They started with the refrigerator, which only took about 5 minutes. Then they moved on to the washer and dryer. One guy did the microwave, while the other did the dishwasher. Lisa was looking at the fridge, and she was ecstatic.

"Bridgie- this fridge makes the pellet ice like at Sonic!"

"Sweet!"

Brian got the bed put together while David was hanging and mounting Lisa's TV. Ann started putting the dust ruffle and the sheets on the bed, and Chris pulled the bedspread out of the bag and started putting the pillow cases on the new pillows they had bought. Bridgit set up the lamps after the movers got the night stands in place. Chris finished the pillows and then went to the kitchen and started rinsing and drying the new dishes and silverware that Ann had bought. She rinsed and dried the silverware tray and started putting the silverware in it, and left the tray on the counter. She started unpacking the dishes and rinsing them and putting them on the counter as well, in stacks. After she was finished, she called Lisa into the kitchen.

"Honey, show me where you want this stuff to go and just like that-she snaps her fingers-they will go there".

"How about silverware in this drawer, utensils in that one, oven mitts and towels to the right of the stove, glasses to the right of the fridge, plates and bowls to the right of the stove. Does that work?"

"Sure thing!".

She put everything where Lisa instructed, and then she realized that she was left with an empty drawer and a pile of owner's manuals for the new appliances and machines in the house. She made an executive decision and put them in the empty drawer together.

Ann came out of the bedroom and declared that everything was done in there except her clothes. Bridgit came out of the bathroom and declared that it was all done. Brian and David had moved to the balcony and were putting together patio furniture. The movers had just brought in the last load of items, and as a surprise, the TV that Brian and Ann had bought Lisa was being delivered right now. It was a 65 inch Smart TV. It came with a mounting kit, so Chris told her David could look at it after he was done outside. Chris ordered everyone pizza, and sodas to be delivered in about 20 minutes.

Lisa was telling the movers where to put her new living room furniture-she had bought a couch with a chaise lounge, and a recliner. Now that she was mounting her TV over the fireplace, she was going to use the TV stand she had from her other apartment as an end table sort of. Instead of having a coffee table, since Nick broke her old one, she was just going to use end tables. She set up some lamps by the couches and the recliner.

She also set up a heavy duty fan in the bedroom. She had to sleep with a fan on her each night, no exceptions.

Her kitchen table was covered in boxes, so Chris started moving those and putting them along the wall and wiping the table down with paper towels. She opened the boxes and found that it was mostly books and pictures in picture frames. On closer inspection, the picture frames all pictures of Nick and Lisa in them. She decided to put that box in her storage closet.

The movers were finished and gave Lisa a receipt. Her dad had prepaid, and David's friend had given them an incredible discount. The delivery guys from Best Buy had also finished, and were giving her a receipt. And David was finished putting together the patio furniture and had started working on mounting the TV. Chris loved to see him using power tools, it was such a sexy look for him.

The pizza arrived and everyone was starving and dug in. In about 12 minutes, they had all devoured about 3 ½ pizzas, and 3 2 liters of soda.

"Great idea, Chris". "Thanks Aunt Chris, this is great".

Lisa's apartment was starting to look like a home and not an empty space. Chris went to look in her bedroom. She loved the setup. The bed set up on a ledge, and there was a diagonal ledge in the corner of the room that was perfect for her TV to sit on. Her Jewelry armoire was on the wall just next to the door to the bathroom.

She went into the bathroom. It was pretty big- there was a walk in closet immediately to the right, and then the sink and shower stall were straight ahead. The water closet was over off to the left. There wasn't a door, so they had put a 3-panel screen there for privacy.

It was set up almost identical to Chris and David's except that it only had one closet and there was no tub.

She went back into the den, to help David.

"Honey, can I help you do this?"

"Sure babe. You can hold the screws and hand them to me, and read me the instructions".

"Ok".

With them working together it only took about 5 more minutes. She read to him how to keep the TV on the mount, and how to secure it.

Brian came over and helped them lift it into place, and then Chris was in charge of holding the TV while they pulled the wires through the hole that David had made at the top behind the TV, and then out the bottom hole he had cut by the plug. Chris covered the wire holes with a plastic cover, and it was perfect. There was even enough space behind the TV on the stand to put the Apple TV that she had.

In just a few short hours, it had all come together.

They put all of the empty boxes in the storage unit, and Lisa was going to save them for Bridgit's move. Due to her work schedule, she wouldn't be moving in for a few more weeks. She planned to start boxing up stuff, and bringing a few boxes at a time each night.

Lisa and Chris started going through her clothes so that they could be hung up. Chris was hanging up the hanging bags and unzipping them all at once, and then sorting them all out. She did pants on one side, skirts above the pants, and blouses on the long rack. Jackets and coats were on the left side, and scarves just after that. She had one of those hanging cubes that you fold your jeans and put in the cubes. There were shelves across the top of the racks, and Chris put the heavy blankets up there, so that she would have them close by in the winter. It took her about 30 minutes to hang it all up.

After she was done, she put the towels in the linen closet and put the space heater under the shelves of towels.

Chris came out of the bedroom to tell Lisa to go look at it. David was helping Brian put together a shoe rack that Lisa was going to keep in the bedroom, behind a 3 panel screen.

Lisa came out squealing and hugging her aunt. She started jumping up and down, and her parents told her to be careful.

Charli had woken up, and Ann was sitting there playing with her.

"I wish your mommy would let me take you home with me… Gigi is going to miss you, little schnookums".

She was smiling at her grandmother and just laughing…she was such a happy baby.

The shoe rack was done, and Bridgit and Lisa went to put her shoes on it.

There was one last box left to open, and Chris took into the bedroom to let Bridgit and Lisa open it together. It was the box that had all of Lisa's lingerie in it.

"I didn't think you would want your dad to see this- it's your underwear"

"Great call Aunt Chris. Bridgit, can you hold it while I put it in the drawers?"

"Sure, sissy".

Chris left them to it and went to the kitchen to get more pizza. It was 1:30.

She was beginning to get tired.

Ann had ordered some groceries to be delivered, mainly staples, and the delivery boy was just arriving. So Chris and Ann put the groceries away, and filled the fridge.

Brian and David gathered up all the trash and broken cardboard pieces and made a large dumpster run. Chris and Ann sat on the couch and Bridgit sat down with Charli also.

"So do you guys have a return date in mind?"

"Brian is flying home tomorrow. I am going to stay here, probably until Tuesday. Bridgit and I are picking up the keys to her apartment next door, and we will go shopping for whatever she needs. This place is about 5 square feet smaller, so she won't need much. But Brian bought Lisa lots of stuff and he promised her the same, so we are going to pick out new appliances, and at least one new TV. "

"Has she seen the apartment next door?"

Ann nodded. "It has 2 bedrooms, so she is losing an office and the alcove, but she is gaining a bedroom for Charli. It's going to be so cute".

"Are you painting, Bridgit?"

She nodded. "Yeah, I think I am going to go with something soothing for my bedroom, like teal or purple. And maybe bright pink for Charli's room. I also want to do one of those glitter walls, where you add glitter to the paint can and when you paint, it makes the room all shimmery. I was thinking maybe 3 pink walls, and one wall with pink and gold shimmery chevron in different sizes. It's going to be very chic".

"Sounds it".

"And the bathroom is going to be like a neon pink with green undertones. And the laundry room is the only room that I am going to have wallpaper in, but just the border. The border is going to be clothes on a clothes line. And the kitchen is going to be pastel green with a cute and trendy stone looking backsplash. And the other thing I was thinking was maybe getting rope lights to go around the ledge that the bed is going to sit on".

"You really have great ideas, Bridgit".

"From the size of the apartment, if I can pick out the right colors of paint, I should be able to have the entire apartment painted in one day, two at the most. I can do the backsplash later, and I can install the lights myself. I can also have them paint Charli's room with 3 walls bright pink, and one wall light pink. Then I can go back in and sketch out the chevron and tape it off, and do that myself".

"Well, I am sure you will have a lovely apartment when you are finished, Bridgit". Chris loved decorating, but she also had to consider what David wanted and he wasn't as free with the decorating trends as she was.

Chris volunteered to keep Charli, so Ann, and Lisa could go get Lisa's stuff from the hotel and Brian and Bridgit could go look at appliances. Chris was loving just holding her and rubbing her back.

David came and sat down next to Chris on the couch after grabbing some water. Everyone else left after promising to be back in an hour.

Chris kicked her shoes off, and David covered the three of them with some of Charli's baby blankets, and pretty soon, Charli was fast asleep. David got up and got her car seat, and brought it over.

Chris was able to seamlessly transfer Charli to her car seat and get her buckled in without waking her up. She covered her with a blanket and then gently picked her up and took her into the bedroom, where it was nice and quiet and dark.

She came back to the couch and snuggled up with David, and kissed him.

"You have been so wonderful today. And mighty handy".

"I love doing stuff like this, babe. And I love spending time with your family".

"They are pretty great. And to think a week ago, Lisa could have been dead, if we hadn't found her in time. "

"She was very lucky".

"That is true. I know that she blames herself, and I know that any woman in that situation probably would do the same, but it really isn't her fault. I hope that in time she will see that".

She kissed David and told him to scoot forward. He obeyed her. She got behind him and gave him an elbow massage.

"Oh babe, you know me so well". It was the best feeling to his sore, tired, muscles. She rubbed on him for about 20 minutes and then he leaned forward and got her to do his lower back. Then she had him lean back against her and she scratched his back for him, which was easy because he had on a t-shirt. She had one leg on the chaise and one leg off, and he was slouched down in front of her in a similar fashion. She loved it when he would let her love on him for a change. She vowed to herself to be more intentional about it.

She let him lean all the way back and then started rubbing his chest, and kissing the top of his head. They laid like this till Bridgit texted that she was on her way back, and Chris heard Charli crying. It had been almost 2 hours, but it was worth it. Ann and Lisa had made a last minute run to Target, and were on their way back from the hotel as well.

When Bridgit came in, Chris had gotten Charli to stop crying by singing to her and they were sitting on the couch. Charli was in Chris' lap and David was talking to her in funny voices making her laugh.

Bridgit made her a bottle and as soon as Charli saw it, she stretched out her arms and reached for it. She loved all of her family, but she was a mama's girl for sure.

Ann and Lisa came in with Lisa's luggage, and a few new things from Target. She had picked up several picture frames, and several knick-knacks to replace the ones that Nick had broken or sold.

It was now almost 5, and they were starting to get hungry again.

Bridgit was telling Chris about the appliances that she saw, and ordered. She now had a move in date of 3 weeks from now.

"There is this ice thing that you attach on the inside of your icemaker, and it fits like all of the models, and when you put it in there, it makes your ice come out like pebble ice!".

"No way! I want one of those!". Chris loved pebble ice.

David looked at Bridgit. "How much was it?"

"Like $40, maybe $50. Very reasonable".

"Good to know".

David stood up. "Well, since we all worked so hard today, and got this place looking so great, and since Brian treated us to dinner last night, how about Chris and I treat everyone tonight? Nothing fancy, just something local. Decide what you want, and it's on me. We can do it here or wherever".

They all discussed it, and Ann finally looked at Lisa. "You have been the restricted one as far as diets go, what would you like?"

She thought about it. "How about Mexican?"

"Great idea! There is a great little hole in the wall place not far from here, about 5 blocks I think, and they know me there. And the staff loves Charli!"

"Well, I say let's go".

"Do we have enough room in the car for everyone?"

"Yes, I have a third seat. So if David drives, then Brian can be in the front, Charli in the middle of the first backseat, and Lisa next to her somewhere. The rest of us can pile wherever."

"Great, let's go!".

They all headed out, to the Mexican place.

***El Nopal***

They walked in, and were able to get a table 6 plus a highchair fairly easily. They ordered waters and drinks all around. David and Brian had a Corona, Ann and Bridgit had margaritas, and Lisa and Chris had virgin ones. Cheese dip came, and before they knew it, they were ordering. Chris and David ordered the fajitas for 2, plus a side of rice. The girls got salads, just like Ann, and Brian got a combination plate of 2 enchiladas, 2 tacos, and 2 tamales, with a side of beans and rice. Charli was sitting in her highchair eating puffs, and patting Ann's arm.

While they were eating, Brian looked at Lisa. "Do you want to stay in your place tonight? You can always come back to the hotel with us".

"I think I want to stay at my place. I feel peaceful and safe there. I feel like tonight when I am sleeping, I will be resting peacefully and not sleeping in angst".

Chris looked up. "If you change your mind, you can always come to our house, we are just a few blocks away".

"I appreciate it. But I am going to give it a shot." They all nodded and understood. It was important for her to feel safe again, and there would come a day where they wouldn't all be there to stay with her. It made sense, even if it made everyone completely uneasy.

David paid the check, and then they all stood up and walked outside. David drove everyone where they needed to go-Lisa to her building, Brian and Ann to their hotel, and Bridgit and Charli home to their building. Chris got out and hugged Brian goodbye at their hotel, and told him she wished he would visit more often.

"We will be back in about 3 weeks to help Bridgit and Charli get settled in".

"Great".

She and David dropped Bridgit and Charli off, and then headed home.

***Chris and David's apartment***

Chris and David came in and she immediately grabbed herself a glass of cold water. She was so thirsty. She thought back and realized that she hadn't been as hydrated as normal in the past few days, so she recommitted herself to that and slammed her glass of water. She poured another one, and headed to the bedroom.

She quickly jumped in the shower and washed off the day, and used some of her muscle recovery body scrub. David came in from checking his voicemail just as she was getting out of the shower. She put on her pajamas, and headed to bed. She finished her glass of water and he took it and went and got her another one. She was laying on the bed watching the news when he brought it back to her. He kissed her a few times, and then went to shower himself. After he was done, he came back and climbed into bed with her, and she snuggled up to him. They watched the news till the weather came on, like they always did, and then turned out the lights. They fell asleep almost instantly.

***Monday***

Chris woke up when her alarm went off, and groaned. She was in the most comfortable spot and didn't want to leave at all. David kissed the side of her face. "Wanna be late today, babe?"

"I would be more than a little late".

She kissed him back and then got up and headed for the shower.

She was determined to be comfortable today, and since she only had to go to the office, was easier to do. She put on palazzo pants, a racerback tank, and a thin cardigan, and her favorite gladiator sandals. She went and made them breakfast, and cleaned up the kitchen superfast before they ate. She and David quickly ate together and then she started getting ready to go. After David was ready they walked to the car together.

"Babe, I want to take your car to get it detailed after yesterday. So why don't you take my Mercedes today?"

"Seriously?" Chris never drove his car. Not that he didn't trust her, but it had just never happened, and she hadn't really wanted to.

"Sure, babe. I trust you".

"Ok." She grabbed her badge and her gun out of her car, and he put her stuff in the car. He showed her how to put the top down, and how to set the alarm.

He wrapped his arms around her. "I love you more than anything in the world, Lieutenant, and cannot wait to see you tonight". He kissed her a few times.

"I love you the moistest counselor, and I am so glad you are mine". She kissed him a few times. They traded keys, and then she nervously got into his Mercedes.

She put the top down, like he had shown her, and he waited till she was out of the space before he left.

20 minutes later she was at work.

***Chris and Mary Beth's office***

Chris pulled up and parked the Mercedes in her usual spot. She had one of the best spots, and she had a sidewalk on both sides, so nobody would be parking next to her. That's what made her the most nervous about driving David's car-someone hitting it. She was getting out of the car just as Mary Beth walked up. She had put the top up, and was getting her stuff out.

"Morning, Partner. David let you drive the nice car today?"

"Morning, Mary Beth. We moved Lisa into her new place yesterday, so my car was used a lot. He offered to take it to get it detailed and washed and cleaned inside and out after work today".

"The Mercedes looks good on you, partner."

"I tell ya, Mary Beth, I love my Explorer, but I could definitely get used to driving a convertible".

They went inside and got to work.

Isbecki and Petrie showed up around 10, out of the blue.

"Hiya Lieutenant. Got a minute?"

"Sure, guys come on in. To what do I owe this pleasure?"

"We came here with a proposition. It's about the Foundation."

"Let's hear it".

"Well, Claudia retired last month. So she isn't working anymore."

"And Ginger retired too. And she is real bored at home, now that the kids are all grown up".

"So, we were thinking, since they aren't working and you are, that maybe you would let them help you run the foundation? They are really both amazing at organization and planning events and things like that, and Claudia was an accountant for years, so she will be able to keep the books straight".

"Sounds fine with me! To tell you the truth guys, I have had some family issues that kept me from devoting a lot of time to it. So, as long as everyone else is on board, I absolutely welcome the help".

"We spoke with Coleman, and he said he trusts your leadership and he trusts them too, and that's how we all feel. This isn't about replacing you, Chris. It's about helping you out and lightening your load".

"I understand. And I am grateful for it. What do you think, Mary Beth?"

"I don't have a problem with it".

"Ok, then it's decided. David will stay on as our legal advisor, I will bring the file tomorrow with everything, including the account information. How about for now, we keep the checkbook with me, since we are only using it to make donations anyways, but everything else will be in the folder for Claudia and Ginger? I really do appreciate the help. I have been treading water the last week with everything going on with Lisa."

"How is she?"

"She is much better. She was moving a little slow yesterday, but she has 4 cracked ribs. She still has the bruising around one eye, and the cut is going to leave a scar, but that's about it. She moved into a new place yesterday and it's really cute, and trendy".

She looked at Isbecki. "Did Corassa's headstone come in?"

He nodded. "It's being placed tomorrow. I went and looked at it and it's very, very nice. And it's only 5 plots down from your dad, and directly in front of Samuels".

"That's nice".

They left then, after making plans to come by tomorrow to get the folder. Then Chris and Mary Beth got back to work. They had caught a new case involving poisoning. So far nobody had passed away from the poisoning, but several people had become very, very ill. Doctors at the hospital had noticed that they were treating several people with the exact same symptoms and findings. Chris and Mary Beth had sent uniforms and detectives to take their statements, and she was diving into those now, while Mary Beth was making the timeline.

David texted asking if she got to work ok, and she said yes. She told him about them bringing on Claudia and Ginger for the foundation to kind of run it day-to-day and plan all of the events and such, and he readily agreed.

"Night in tonight, honey, just the two of us?"

"You got it, babe".

She and Mary Beth ordered in from a local deli, and worked till about 3. They were winding down, when Mary Beth figured out the pattern. All of the victims had been asked where they had been in the 48 hours prior to getting sick. All of them had different answers, but a few answers were the same: Church, restaurants, and in cabs. The detectives had really done their work on this-they had them supply receipts and addresses. The churches didn't match up and neither did the taxis. However, the restaurants did. Mary Beth noticed that 3 of them patronized the same Mexican restaurant, on the east side. She decided to make a chart. She put the people's names across the top, and the names of the restaurants they had mentioned down the left column. She put x's next to each restaurant the person said they had been to. After she was done, there were a few columns that had a few x's. But there was one column that all X's.

"Chris, come look at this".

Chris came over and surveyed the chart, and then grabbed the papers. "Subway-East 73rd and 4th. There it is right there-Subway, East 73rd and 4th. And it's on this one, and on this one too. Do we have receipts that show times and names?"

Mary Beth pulled them up and handed them to her. "All of them show that they visited during the hours between 11 and 4."

Chris filled out the paperwork for a search warrant of their employee payroll records and surveillance cameras for the past 3 weeks. She also asked for pictures of each and every employee. She was going to have detectives go to each victim and see if they could pick out who waited on them during their visit.

"Good work, Mary Beth".

"Thank you, my partner".

She put the paperwork on Feldberg's desk, and then they headed home. She offered to give Mary Beth a ride home in the Mercedes.

"Thanks, but I have some errands to run uptown on my way home. See ya tomorrow".

Chris headed home for the day.

***Chris and David's apartment***

Chris pulled the Mercedes into David's parking spot, and then parked, and put the top up. She grabbed her things and went inside.

She set her things down, and then went and kicked her shoes off in the closet, and changed clothes into some pajama shorts and a strappy tank top. She was home a little early, so she made herself a caprese salad and a club soda with a twist of lime, and then she sat on the couch and turned on the news.

The afternoon news was just about to end.

"This just in: Meredith Watson, former CEO of the Fashion House, has been charged by the SEC with Insider Trading and Embezzlement. She apparently embezzled more than half a million dollars from Fashion House, to pay for her son's legal fees. She also paid some of his victims in order to make it appear that he had paid restitution, in hopes of him getting a lighter sentence. The insider trading charge comes after Fashion House acquired 4 fashion lines in the past year, and after the last deal was completed, an anonymous tip came in to the SEC stating that she had talked them into making her a "silent partner on the board" so that she would know when they were going to sell; she then bought all 4 fashion lines using dummy corporations that she set up to hide her identity. If convicted of all the charges, she faces 20 years in prison. The victims of her son that she paid off are asked to come forward and meet with Attorney Stella Westmoreland, of the Federal Bureau of Investigations".

"Holy shit….". Chris couldn't believe it.

She called David and told him she needed him to come home asap.

"Everything ok, babe?"

"Yes, just another legal issue for Lisa, that we need your help with. I am going to text her and Ann and have them come over now. See you when you get here".

She hit record on the DVR, so that she could rewind it and show it to them.

She texted Lisa and Ann. "Major developments in the Nick Granger case. Can you guys please come to my apartment? I want to make sure that you are informed on what happened and what is about to happen".

"On our way".

Chris went and put her palazzo pants back on, so that she would be more appropriate for company.

She made herself another drink, and loaded the dishwasher from their breakfast plates and her salad.

David got home about then.

"HI honey!". She wrapped her arms around him and kissed him.

"Hi babe!" He kissed her back.

"I am so glad you are home".

"Me too! What's the emergency?"

"The news tonight said that Lisa's boss was arrested by the Feds, and charged by the SEC with insider trading and embezzlement. It said she embezzled over ½ a million dollars from the Fashion House in an attempt to pay for her son's legal fees and make restitution ahead of his trial in order to get him a lighter sentence. So they want the victims to come visit an attorney- someone named Stella Westmoreland with the FBI, and I was wondering if you could help Lisa with that".

"Absolutely. What did she give Lisa?"

"A phone, new computer, and she promised to pay her medical bills".

"Well, unless this is just an out and out witch-hunt, they will probably let Lisa keep those items, and not make her pay back anything because at trial, the judge is more likely to recommend that Nick pay for those items and medical bills anyways. But then again, sometimes the FBI lawyers are heartless, so yeah, I will go with her".

"Thank you". She kissed him again.

"They are on their way over here. I am glad you are home, so that you can help me explain it to them".

He kissed her a few more times, and then went to change clothes. She went into the bathroom to brush her hair, and he noticed the pajama shorts on the bed.

He let out a great big "Yeah, baby" and smiled at her. He loved it when she wore skimpy things around him.

"I had those on just for you, honey. But with family coming over…."

"Got it".

He emerged in Nike shorts and a t-shirt, his typical after hours attire.

"What do you want for dinner, honey?"

"How about I grill us some steaks and veggies after Lisa and Ann leave?"

"Good plan. I hate to not invite them, but I don't have enough".

She quickly mixed a steak marinade and threw it together, and put it in the fridge. She ran the faucet on room temperature water and threw two frozen steaks under it.

They heard a knock on the door, and she told David to answer it while she found a bowl and put the steaks in it, so that they could turn the faucet off. He let them in, and she got the steaks squared away and then they went and sat down.

"This was on the news this afternoon. I taped this because I didn't want you to freak out. And David here is going to help also. So it's going to be okay". Lisa nodded and she pushed play on the DVR.

After the story was over, she turned it off and looked at him. "So do I have to give everything back?"

"Probably not. The jewelry that she gave you was yours. And her son did destroy your property, so she is just helping him make it right. However, if they can prove that she did it with stolen funds, they will either take it from you or they will make her pay Fashion House back. Your medical bills are the same way- you need to make sure that she paid them. If she hasn't, then she isn't going to. If she has, then she is probably going to have to pay Fashion House back. It helps you that you are pressing charges against her son. If you were an employee of Fashion House and she had just bought you gifts or given you money, or if you and Nick had broken up and she had come to you and said "Here's 500 grand, don't press charges", then you would have to pay that back. But she didn't. I am more than happy to go with you to meet with them and help you wade through this, Lisa. I know that you are scared and overwhelmed."

"Yes, that would be great. Thank you".

She looked white as a ghost.

Ann looked at Chris. "So when can she meet with them?"

"As soon as she makes the appointment, I suppose".

She googled the number for Stella Westmoreland, and Lisa called it.

"Hello, I need to speak with Stella Westmoreland, please…..yes ma'am, my name Is Lisa Cagney, and I am a victim of Meredith Watson's son, Nick Granger…yes she did….she promised to pay my medical bills, and she returned some jewelry to me that he had given to her to sell, and she replaced my iphone and my computer….yes the jewelry was mine…the computer I had before was an older model mac laptop, but she replaced it with a brand new macbook pro with all of the software and accessories and add ons available….my phone before was an iphone 5s, 32 gb and she replaced it with an iphone 6splus 128 gb…..she said she was paying my medical bills, but I haven't received anything in the mail about that….4 days….yes, I can do that….yes my uncle is one….David Keeler….yes my aunt is one….Lieutenant with the NYPD at the DA's office… yes ma'am….No ma'am…Ok thank you". She hung up and looked at David.

"She asked that you come with me, and she also asked that you come with me too, Aunt Chris, and you bring your file on Nick Granger. She said she needs to look at witness statements and your DD5's, and she said you would know what that means. She said I can keep the computer and phone most likely, but that if she hasn't paid my medical bills, they are still my responsibility. She said I could sue her for payment since she did agree to do so, but that at this point it would be like getting blood from a turnip. She wants to see me tomorrow at 10 a.m.".

Chris nodded. "Will do, if Feldberg approves".

David nodded too. "I will meet you there".

Lisa let out a big sigh. "I am never dating again, I swear. This is the biggest mess…"

"You will honey. You just have to find the right one. He was evil, most people aren't like him".

"Your mom is right. I would know-I dated some doozies myself. But I found David, and then I dated some more doozies, and then we found our way back to each other. One day you are going to look back and say 'he was just a boy' about all of this".

"Thanks Aunt Chris. You have been so great through all of this". She stood up and hugged her.

"You're welcome sweetie."

"Thanks again, Chris. It's good to know my girls have you and David here when Brian and I cannot be".

"My pleasure. They are really great girls". She hugged Ann, and then after Lisa and Ann hugged David, they headed to leave.

"Lisa, why don't you come by my office in the morning and we will ride together?"

"Sounds great, Aunt Chris".

They left and she set about making dinner. The steaks were thawed, so she poured the marinade and then put them back into the fridge and set the timer for 30 minutes. She started cutting up the veggies and soaking the skewers. She also threw together some rice, and put that in the oven to bake. David went outside to start the grill, and she set the table.

She went and put her pajama shorts back on, and then came back to the kitchen. David had taken the steaks and veggies out to grill. She fixed them both a drink, and took his out to him.

"Here honey".

"Thanks babe".

He sat in a chair at the table, and she sat down next to him.

"I am glad you are going with Lisa and me in the morning. I think that she will be less nervous that way".

"It will be good for her, and it will be good for you and me too".

"How is that?"

"We will get to see each other. It will be like a mini-date, babe". He kissed the side of her face, and she smiled at him.

"I feel like we are in this storm and it just won't let up. For all our sakes, but especially for Lisa's, it just needs to let up".

"I agree, babe. But you are handling all of this remarkably well".

He got up to flip the steaks and toss the veggies and she went inside to check on the rice. She could feel a headache coming on, so she took 2 of her headache meds and decided she would take a bubble bath after dinner. It was probably all the stress of the past week catching up to her.

She took the rice out of the oven, and then took a plate out to David so that he could bring the steaks and veggies in. He knew as soon as he looked at her that she wasn't feeling well.

They ate a quick dinner, and she was trying to perk up, but her medicines weren't working as fast as they normally do. He told her he would clean up the kitchen so that she could go relax.

She kissed him and headed to the bedroom. She turned on the Jacuzzi tub and added the stress relief bath salts and the relax bath salts, and got in. She didn't turn the lights on, she didn't light candles, and she didn't turn on the music. She grabbed her cold ice mask out of the mini fridge and put it on after she climbed in. After a few minutes, she did turn the music on low.

David cleaned up the kitchen, and then locked the doors and set the alarm. He got her a glass of water and put it in her mini fridge, and then came to join her in the bathtub.

"Can I join you babe?"

She took the mask off. "Always".

She moved forward and then sat in front of him after he got in. She put the ice mask back on. He rubbed her back and shoulders and kneaded his knuckles on her neck, and tried to help her relax. "Want me to give you a head massage?"

She nodded. He went slow and was trying to be gentle.

"Are you feeling better at all, babe?"

"A little. This mask is really helping, and so is your massage".

He focused on her shoulder blades again, and then back to her neck. After he was done, she snuggled up to him and took off the ice mask. She was hoping that her meds would kick in any minute.

They soaked for a few more minutes and then he helped her up and stood up and they got out of the tub and dried off. Her head was still hurting pretty badly.

She put on her pajama shorts and a strappy tank again, and towel dried her hair very gently. She went to the kitchen and grabbed a banana and two pieces of French bread, and came back to bed. After she scarfed that down, she was going to take her medicine and then go to bed.

"Babe, I have something that I can rub on your back and neck that should make your head feel better. Wanna try it?"

She nodded.

She took one of her migraine pills after she finished eating the bread and the banana, and drank a bottle of water. She climbed on to the bed, and David sat behind her, and grabbed the muscle rub. "Babe, this is going to be a little cool, ok?"

"Ok honey".

He started rubbing it on her neck and across her shoulders and around her shoulder blades.

"Honey, this stuff is amazing….where did you get this?"

"I got it at the store when I bought the aromatherapy oils."

"I love it. You are so good to me".

"I just want you to feel better is all, babe."

After he finished rubbing it in, she laid down and he turned the lights out. He snuggled her until she fell asleep, and then he kissed her forehead and got up and went into the den to watch the news.

After he was done, he came back and climbed into bed with her and fell asleep.

***The next morning***

Chris woke up when her alarm went off. She turned it off and gingerly moved her head. Most of the pain was gone, but she felt groggy. She went and got in the shower. After she got out, she got ready for work. She chose to be comfortable, instead of dressy, so she put on some black skinny pants, a cream colored blouse and some off white flats. She went and made them breakfast while David was getting ready, and decided to keep it easy-tomato, egg white, and sausage breakfast sandwiches, and some fresh squeezed juice.

She quickly cleaned up the kitchen and loaded the dishwasher and then they sat down to eat.

"Babe, you didn't have to go to all this trouble, I know you aren't feeling well".

"It's no trouble, honest. I am feeling a little better, just sluggish".

They ate, and then she started getting her stuff together for work.

"What's on your schedule for today, honey?"

"The meeting with Lisa, and then a deposition that will probably take all afternoon. What about you?"

"The meeting with Lisa, and then Mary Beth and I are going to serve a search warrant on a restaurant".

She turned and embraced him. "Can we have a do-over tonight on our nice quiet evening?"

"Of course, babe".

He kissed her. She grabbed her non-drowsy migraine pills off the counter and took one, and then put the bottle in her purse. With any luck, she could stave off a migraine with medicine if she was to start feeling one.

They walked out the door and headed to the car.

He helped her put her stuff in the car, and then wrapped his arms around her. "I love you more than anyone babe. See you in a bit". He kissed her.

"Love you too honey, see you in a little bit".

She got in the car and headed to work.

***Chris and Mary Beth's office***

She pulled up in the parking lot, and parked in her spot. She grabbed her things and went inside. As soon as she sat down at her desk, she texted David.

"I love my car! I am sorry I forgot to tell you thank you yesterday honey. I really love it, and love you"

"No worries babe. Things got busy, is all. Glad you love it. Love you".

Mary Beth came in, and put her stuff down.

"Morning. How are you?"

"Morning. I am moving slow today. Had a killer migraine last night".

"Oh I hate those. But at least you are behind it".

"Yeah, true. Hey, I have to go this morning with Lisa to meet with the federal prosecutor. So we will serve that warrant afterwards, ok?"

"Ok, partner".

She grabbed the file and headed to Feldberg's office.

He approved sharing the file with the feds and was glad that Chris was handling it.

"When are you meeting with them?"

"At 10, this morning. Lisa has an appointment related to Meredith Watson".

"I figured she would at some point".

"Yeah, I have been trying to stay optimistic, but It's hard finding a balance between telling her what to expect and not freaking her out. And when Meredith Watson came to her hospital room and made all of these promises, I wanted to believe that she was being genuine, but deep down, my gut told me otherwise".

She took the file, and thanked him, and left.

She went back to her office, and worked till about 9:30, when Lisa walked in.

She looked cute, in some palazzo pants, and black flip flops with a bright pink top. She had even straightened her hair. She looked more like her old self, which was good.

"Hi honey. You look pretty".

She hugged her and introduced her to Mary Beth.

"Hello, how are you feeling?"

"Better. I just dropped Mom off at the airport. Do I look puffy?"

"Not one bit, my dear. We better head to the federal building".

Lisa nodded. "Nice to see you again, Mrs. Lacey".

"Bye honey".

Chris grabbed the file, and her purse, and they headed for the car.

***Federal building***

Chris texted David they were there, and were walking up the steps. He texted back that he would meet her at the top of the stairs, just inside the door.

They walked in and found him sitting on a bench, and walked over to him.

He kissed Chris, and hugged Lisa.

"You ready?"

Lisa nodded. She was nervous, but ready to get it over with.

They walked over to Stella Westmoreland's office and told the receptionist they were there.

She seated them in the conference room.

They waited only about 10 minutes and then Stella came in with an assistant and a tape recorder and several legal pads, and a box of pens.

They introduced themselves and shook hands and then she sat down. She and David chatted legal talk for a few minutes, and then she got down to business.

"Ok, so I need to get a statement from you, regarding what happened. I also need to get a separate statement from you regarding your injuries, how long you were hospitalized and your interactions with Meredith Watson. After that, we can go over what happens next and answer any questions that you have".

Lisa nodded.

She gave her statement about what happened between her and Nick, and answered a few questions regarding how long they had been together and how soon he had moved in and taken over things, etc. She spoke about him threatening to kill her or hurt her if she didn't give him access, and then when she tried to leave him, he made good on his threats. She also told them about the calorie restrictions.

Stella turned the tape recorder off, and took the tape out. She labeled it "Lisa Cagney statement 1", and then put it in the box. She grabbed a new tape, and labeled it "Lisa Cagney statement 2", and put it in the tape recorder.

She pressed record, and then started asking Lisa questions and asking her to give a statement about Meredith Watson and the gifts and promises she made.

Lisa gave a full statement regarding her hospital stay and her injuries.

Next came her statement on Meredith Watson.

"On my 2nd full day there, she came to my hospital room and told me that she was so sorry that her son had done this to me, and that he had told her that we were getting married, and she was begging me not to marry him because he has a history of doing this to women and it's just going to get worse. So then after Aunt Chris set her straight on the fact that he wasn't going to get out of jail, and he wasn't going to marry me, she said she needed to go, and that everyone at work missed me, and that if I sent her my medical bills, she would pay them in full".

"Any other interactions between you and her?"

"Indirectly. The next day, there was a delivery, and when I opened it, it was from her. She had it delivered to my hospital room."

"What was in the package?"

"A brand new Macbook pro with all the accessories and add-on options available, and a brand new Iphone 6splus 128 gb in rose gold".

"Do you know why she did that?"

"Because her son destroyed my laptop and smashed my phone to pieces. She also returned to me some jewelry that he had stolen from me that he gave her to sell for him. She indicated she was selling it and was going to use it to pay for his legal fees, until she heard me telling Aunt Chris what it looked like".

"Do you have any proof that she ever paid your hospital fees?"

"No ma'am. I haven't received a bill yet in the mail, and I haven't had a chance yet to call and see if she paid them".

She asked her a few questions about how closely she worked with Meredith at Fashion House, and then she turned the tape recorder off.

"Ok, I need you to write out your statement regarding her promising to pay your medical bills. If we can prove that she paid for them using Fashion house money, then this will be entered into court as evidence. You may be called to testify. If we cannot, it will be shredded, and nobody but you and her and your family and me will know what you said".

Lisa wrote out her statement, and then signed it. Chris handed Stella the file, and she had her assistant make copies of it.

She had Lisa write out her first statement as well, and then asked her if she had any questions.

"So what am I responsible for?"

"Well, you can keep the computer and the phone. Her son destroyed those of yours, and she was replacing them for him, so that he would get a lighter sentence. However, she embezzled funds to do it. So, we are going to add the costs of those items to her restitution to Fashion House, instead of seizing them from you. However, we are going to pull your medical bills, and if she has paid them, then you owe nothing. If she has not, then you will owe those."

"So what happens next?"

"Well, she is in jail right now. She was not given bond this morning, because she is considered a flight risk. So, we are going to set a date for a preliminary hearing for her to establish that she has an attorney. That will be in about 2 weeks. Then, we are sending it to the Grand Jury next month, and she will most likely be indicted, and then a trial date will be set. You may be called to testify, you may not. It just depends on the evidence. We will coordinate the trials so that they don't interfere with Nick Granger's trial, either at the state level or the federal one. And there will be no plea bargains in place for either of these people, at the Federal level."

"Thank you".

She slid one final form across at Lisa, and asked her to write down her contact information.

"Will they ever see this? Mrs. Watson and Nick, I mean".

"NO, ma'am. You have my word on that".

"Ok, thank you".

She filled out the form and handed it back.

Stella handed the file back to Chris, and shook David's hand first, and then Chris' and then Lisa's.

"We will be in touch. Thank you for coming in".

They all got up and they left.

Lisa seemed sad as they left the building. Chris figured it would come out in the car.

She kissed David goodbye and then Lisa gave him a hug and thanked him for coming. She and Chris headed to the car.

***Chris' car***

As expected, Lisa broke down when they got into the car.

Chris tried to be gentle with her. "Want to talk about it?"

"It just didn't hit me till now that we are really broken up, and it really is over, and that I was so wrong to be so taken in by him. I just feel so responsible for all of this, like I brought it on myself".

"No you didn't honey. You didn't. You had no idea he was going to do this. You are not responsible for anything that happened. Give yourself a break. Come on, you know me. You know that I am a tough cop. If you were responsible for this, I would tell you so, and I would lock you up myself. I haven't done that, because this is not in way your fault. You didn't cause this, you were a victim of this."

Lisa was crying, but she nodded. She wiped away the tears.

Chris took her all the way home, and dropped her off at her building.

She hugged her and tried to make her feel better, and Lisa said she understood but she still seemed upset. She told her to text her when she got inside and then, after she received the text, she headed back to work.

She sent David a text. "Want to have a lunch date at home?"

"On my way" was his response.

***Chris and David's response***

She pulled into the parking garage and he wasn't there yet. He pulled up just as she was getting out of her car.

She waited for him and then they headed inside together.

They got into the elevator, and she pushed 10 for their floor. As soon as the doors closed, he grabbed her and kissed her very passionately.

"You read my mind, honey".

"So this is the date we are having?"

"This is it". She kissed him again.

They arrived at their floor, and headed to their apartment.

He unlocked the door, she closed it and he turned off the alarm.

She put her purse and her keys on the counter.

She turned around and he picked her up, kissed her, and carried her to the bedroom.

He put her on the bed, and while she undressed, he drew the blackout curtains closed a little more, just so the room wouldn't be so bright.

He quickly undressed and then they climbed into bed. They made mad, passionate love, and just enjoyed each other for as long as possible. Before they knew it, Chris' alarm was going off, and they were having to get up and get ready to go back to work.

They redressed quickly, and Chris went and fixed her hair, and reapplied her makeup. Then, she and David grabbed their things and headed for the car, once more.

He kissed her several times at the car, and then they drove to work.

She loved days like this, it was like a dirty little secret that she and David shared.

***Chris and Mary Beth's office***

Chris called Mary Beth and told her that she was on her way back, and asked her if she wanted anything for lunch.

They agreed on a salad place, and Chris went and placed the order and then brought it to their office. They ate rather quickly.

"How did it go at the Federal building?"

"Good, I guess. Nick Granger's mother is Meredith Watson."

"The Meredith Watson, from Fashion House? The one that was on the news?"

"That's the one. On Lisa's second full day in the hospital., David and I were visiting and Ms. Watson showed up and was very apologetic on Nick's behalf. She was saying that he had told her that he and Lisa were getting married that weekend and that he was getting out of jail, and she was like please don't do that, he won't change, he will always be like this to you. She was acting like the caring, concerned boss. So I set her straight that he wouldn't be getting out of jail, and that he wouldn't be marrying any family member of mine, ever. She told Lisa that she was going to pay her medical bills, and when she heard Lisa tell me the descriptions of the jewelry that he stole and the values of them, she pulled them out of her pocket and handed it to her. He had given the rings to mama, to sell for him to pay for his legal defense. Well, then she left. The next day, we were there visiting and there was a package delivery, and it was a brand new MacBook Pro computer, with all of the accessories and add-ons that you can get for it, plus a brand new Apple Iphone 6splus, in rose gold, with 128 gb. That money that she stole from Fashion house: supposedly to pay off his victims, to make it look like he had paid back the restitution to get a lighter sentence."

"So what happens now?"

"Well, they are going to make her pay back what she stole, regardless. So they are letting Lisa keep the laptop and phone. If she paid Lisa's medical bills then Lisa is free and clear and owes nothing. If she hasn't, then Lisa owes the medical bills. She can sue her of course, but she won't get anything. And Lisa feels so responsible for this whole thing. She basically collapsed in the car, and just broke down, that she should have known and seen what was happening. She was so upset"

Chris continued. "So, the standard deal. Feds are gathering evidence, they got her on no bond, so she's staying put. She will have a prelim hearing in 2 weeks, and then if she's indicted, she will have a trial date set. And Stella Westmoreland stated that there will be no plea deals for Nick or Meredith from the fed.s."

"Good." Mary Beth loved it when criminals got what was coming to them.

They finished eating, and Chris and Mary Beth went to serve the search warrant at the Subway.

***Subway***

Chris and Mary Beth went in and there were about 3 people in line. Chris got at the end of the line, and Mary Beth stood by the door.

After they were done serving the 3 people, they asked Chris what she wanted. She showed her badge and asked for the manager. The girl went to get the manager and he walked out and came out to her side of the glass. She showed him her badge, introduced herself, and showed him the search warrant.

He told her to come back and Mary Beth locked the door and followed them. She made the other employees come back as well, and they confiscated a month's worth of tapes, as well as pictures of each employee.

"Officer, can I ask what this is about?"

"We have had several complaints of people getting sick after they ate here and their medical results show abnormal substances being placed in their food".

The manager called his district manager, who advised him to comply with the search warrant, and to write down what they confiscated and have them sign it. He also wanted to know the address of where they would be taking these things to.

After they found everything they initially came for, including the payroll time sheets for the past month, they left, and allowed them to reopen. They headed back to their office to watch the tapes.

***Chris and Mary Beth's office***

It was 2 p.m. Chris put Mary Beth in charge of the DVD, and she had the pictures of the employees. She grabbed the timeline that Mary Beth had made, and they put the complaints in chronological order by date. They started with the date of the first complaint and watched each day individually. Chris saw him first. He was tall, about 5'9, and was kind of scruffy looking. He was average build, with a long beard, and had a tattoo on his forearm and the back of his hand.

Chris found his picture and identified him. Kevin Pierce, 33 years old. Employed by Subway for almost 6 years.

They saw him make the sandwich, grab a bag of chips, and then make the guy's drink, and take it around the corner really quickly, and come back with some packets in his hand, and quickly put the packets in his drink while the customer isn't looking. He quickly put the top on his drink, and then hand it to him. Chris hit freeze frame several times, and printed those images. She was going to have the detectives take the shots to the victims and ask if that was the guy who served them and if that was them in the pictures. They went through each and every one of the complaints days of film, and he was in all of them.

"I think we got him, Mary Beth".

She sent the order to the detectives to ask all of the victims to identify him and themselves, and she instructed them to go pick him up and bring him in.

It was 4:25.

"Closing time, Mary Beth. Want a ride home?"

"No thanks, I am running some errands before I get home. See you tomorrow".

"See you tomorrow".

Chris got in the car and left, as Mary Beth walked across the street.

She texted David and asked him what he wanted for dinner.

"Up to you babe."

She decided on grilled fish and wild rice, with sautéed zucchini. She went to the store on her way home, quickly got the stuff for it, and then headed home.

***Chris and David's apartment***

Chris got home, and locked the door behind her. She put the groceries away and then went to change clothes.

Once she was comfortable, she came back and started making dinner. She put the fish onto pieces of foil, and seasoned it with a pat of butter on each side, and greek seasoning. She made them into foil pockets. She set the oven and put the pockets into a pan, she started water boiling for the rice, and then started slicing up zucchini, to saute. She was almost done making it all when David got home.

"Hi babe," He came over and kissed her a few times.

"Hi honey". She kissed him back a few times, and then told him what was for dinner.

"Greek fish, sautéed zucchini and wild rice".

"Sounds good, babe". He went and changed clothes, and she put the packets in the oven and set the timer. She got out the parmesan and grated some fresh parmesan cheese for both of their packets. After about 20 minutes, the rice and the zucchini and onions and tomatoes were finished. They were just waiting on the fish. She opened the packets, added the cheese on top, refolded it to leave the tops open, and switched the oven to broil.

David made them both a drink and Chris hugged him for a few minutes while they just stood in the kitchen.

"How was Lisa when you two left the Federal building?"

"A mess. She still blames herself, and I think she really is just now realizing that they are broken up and that she was so victimized.".

"That has to be hard for her, babe. She has really been through a lot, and everything that she went through probably kept her from realizing that they were broken up and really processing her feelings until now".

"I agree with that. I just wish I could help her".

She quickly set the table and then started plating their meals and when the fish was done she pulled it out of the oven and turned the oven off.

They had a nice dinner and they did the dishes together and she started the dishwasher afterwards.

They had just settled down on the couch when there was a knock at the door.

Chris opened the door and found Lisa crying on the other side.

"Honey, what is it?"

"I called the hospital to see if I owed the hospital bills. They told me I had to come in, so I did. I got there and the guy at the hospital told me that I had to pay him $1200 to see my bills. I told him no. He told me I could take my top off if I wanted, and it would be an even trade. I told him no. He told me every day I don't give him $1200 bucks, he will add $5000 to my hospital bills, and I looked at him and he said "I can do whatever I want. I can hack into the billing system any time, and add as many zeros as I feel like. If you don't want me to do that, then show me your tits. So I asked to speak to his supervisor, and he said I would have to get completely naked for that to happen. I told him I wasn't going to speak to him anymore and he told me that was a bad idea because he now knows where I live and what I look like and he can show up anytime he wants, and I ran out of there and I just-sob-just-sob- don't know what to do".

Chris hugged her. "Ok, we will figure this out. Just calm down, and come sit over here". She looked at David. "Honey, will you please get her some water?"

He nodded. She could tell he was getting fired up.

"Listen to me, honey. Nobody is going to force you to show them your body in order to see your medical bills. I know this, because I am the police. I also know this because I am married to a lawyer. What is going to happen, is you are going to calm down, and take some deep breaths. I am going to go change clothes. You and I and David are going to go to the hospital. I will flash my badge if I have to, and David can yell at him like a lawyer if my badge doesn't work, and by the time we get back here, we will have him probably fired, or the name of his supervisor, and you will have your medical records".

"I can't ask you to do that for me, Aunt Chris. You guys have done so much for me all ready".

"You aren't asking. I am offering and I am glad to help you with this. Now you drink the water, and I am going to go change clothes".

Chris headed to the bedroom, and David pulled his phone out.

"Did this guy tell you his name?"

"No, but he had a nametag. It said 'Jorge' on it. He also had a star tattoo on the back of his hand, and a scar across the top of his forehead. He answered the phone to someone before he helped me and said his name was Marcus though". She was still sobbing, just not as bad. She took a few deep breaths.

Chris came out in some yoga pants, a tank top and some flip flops, and grabbed her purse.

She stood next to Lisa. "You ok?"

She hesitantly nodded.

"You are going to win this, sweetie. I promise".

She nodded.

They headed to the car.

***Manhattan General Hospital***

David pulled up and parked, and they all got out.

Chris, David and Lisa walked up to the window where the guy was working. Lisa once again asked to see her medical bills.

Without looking up, he said "You know the deal sweetheart. Get naked or pay $1500."

"You told me $1200 earlier".

"Yeah, well the price went up."

She looked at Aunt Chris.

Chris stepped forward. "I think the price just went down, pal".

"He looked up. "Oh it's a family deal, huh? Well, I will see what I can work out, but you gotta show me something".

She pulled out her badge, and held it in her hand.

"Let us in the room back there so we can talk about it".

He buzzed them in.

The three of them walked into the triage room, and he looked at them and said "I don't go for guys, but you two are gonna have to show me something if you want me to show you the bills. Let's see it".

Chris pulled her badge up. "I'll show you this-police. Don't move!"

David went and got someone else to call a supervisor of the hospital to come to the triage room.

Chris started yelling at him. "How dare you take advantage of a young girl like this? She was trying to see how much money she owes this hospital- and she's good for it to, so there's a chance she could have made a payment on her account in good faith. And you tried to capitalize on that? You are disgusting."

"What I am doing isn't illegal. She didn't have to participate. It's not like I forced her. This is a man's world-we make the rules and the women just live in our world".

"She didn't participate because she was raised better than that. But what you did is illegal. Ever heard of the word 'extortion'? You told her that if she wanted to see her medical bills, she would have to pay you extra money. And you told her that if she didn't pay you, it would go up each day until she did. And then when she came back with us tonight, you raised the price. I am a Lieutenant with the police department, so according to you, I don't know nothing. But I bet my husband does. He's a lawyer. Let's ask him, shall we?"

She turned to David. "Honey, is it illegal to try and make someone pay you money to see their accounts and to tell them they have to strip naked for you also, and if they don't, you will raise the price each day that they don't give you what they want? "

David glared at the guy. "Oh yeah".

Chris looked at him. "What's your name? And I will be taking a look at your license so I suggest you be honest".

"Nathan. But she didn't consent, so technically I didn't break any laws".

"In prison, I hear they have a different meaning behind the word consent".

The supervisor came in right then. "Hello, I am Stacey Brooks, how can I help you?" She and Chris shook hands.

"Hello, I am Lieutenant Christine Keeler, NYPD. This is my husband, David, who is a lawyer and he's very good at it. This is my niece Lisa. Basically, my niece came down to see a copy of her medical bills since she was in the hospital here last week. Your employee Nathan here, gave my niece a fake name, and used two others during his conversation with her. He told her that if she wanted to see her medical bills, it would cost her $1200, and that she would have to show her breasts. She refused, he told her that the price would be added to her bills each day, and that he could hack into the system any time and add as many zeroes as he wanted to whenever he wanted to, and she asked to speak to a supervisor, and he told her she would have to get totally naked for that. So she left, and came to my house. We came back, and she asked him to show her the medical bills again, and without looking up, he told her the price was now $1500, and when he saw me with her, he told me we would both have to do it. We asked to come back here, and I showed him my badge, my husband went to get you, and he is insisting that he has done nothing illegal. I was just explaining to him, that according to the New York penal codes, extortion is very illegal, and my husband confirmed to him that I had a case. I am pretty sure that this isn't the behavior that you want your employees showing, and I haven't even addressed the hacking issue. I am sure that she is not the only person he did this to. I will be arresting him shortly, but you may deal with him however you'd like".

"I am so sorry this happened. I will get your medical bills for you right away". She stood in the doorway and spoke to someone and then came back in.

"Ok Nathan, out with it. How many people have you done this to?"

"Lots."

"Did you get people to show you their bodies here in the hospital?"

He nodded.

"Did they pay you for the right to see their bills?"

"Yes".

"Did you hack into the system and add zeroes to people's accounts?"

"Only twice".

"So how many have you done this to?"

"50".

"Well, that's 1 too many, and 49 over the limit. I am calling HR. As of this moment, you are suspended. I will need your badge, and your access card. AS soon as HR hears this, you can expect to be fired".

She picked up the phone and called HR, and they agreed to send someone over right away.

Chris handed her a business card.

"I am going to have the IT department run his ID through the system and we will see every patient he came in contact with, and who he hacked. As soon as they give me a list of names, I will bring it you, so that you can file formal charges against him. This hospital isn't going to stand for extortion by our employees".

The employee that Stacey had spoken to in the hallway brought her the file and handed it to her.

She opened it and handed it to Lisa, and Chris went and sat next to her.

Lisa took a deep breath and opened the file.

"PAID IN FULL" was stamped across the middle of the page.

Chris flipped the page and saw that Meredith Watson had paid the bills in full.

"That was very nice of her, and very lucky for you."

"I am so glad. I was starting to wonder if I would ever have these paid off, they suspended our insurance after she was arrested".

Chris called for backup officers to come to the hospital so that Nathan could be taken into custody.

She stood up and told him to empty his pockets. "If you do it now before I pat you down, it will be a much happier process".

He pulled out his wallet, his cell phone, his car keys, and a money clip with about $10,000 in cash.

She looked at Stacey. "Do you by chance have a ziplock bag?"

Stacey opened a drawer and handed her one.

"Thanks".

"Nathan, this bag is going to hold everything that was in your pockets, except the money. You will be arrested, and if you are able to secure a bond, you will get this back, except the money in the money clip. If this money turns out to be yours, then you will be able to keep it. However, as I suspect that we will, if we find witnesses or victims that will testify that you extorted the money, you won't get it back."

He nodded.

The uniformed officers arrived, and placed him under arrest at her command.

They let him remain sitting in the office until HR got there, which was a few minutes later. After the supervisor explained what happened, and they asked Lisa to confirm her version of the events, they asked Nathan if he had a different version. He said no. They asked him if everything that he was accused of took place and he said yes. They told him he was terminated, effective immediately. They took his badge and access code, and told the police he was free to be released.

"Please transport him to 1 police plaza, for lockup. I will call in to the officer on duty and explain his charges".

"Right away, Lieutenant".

They led Nathan away, and Chris turned to Stacey. "Do you need anything further from us, or can we go?" They had been there almost 2 hours.

"I think we are good. I have your business card, so I will call you if anything further comes up. And I will put that request in with HR right away, and have the IT department track it. You should have that list as early as next week".

"Thank you very much for your help".

Chris, David, and Lisa all walked out and headed for the car.

"You were amazing Aunt Chris! And so confident! I wish I was as confident as you".

"You are, honey. It's part of being a Cagney".

They climbed in the car, and David and Chris took Lisa home so she wouldn't have to walk or ride the subway at night.

Chris got out and hugged her goodbye.

"Thanks again for going with me. Love you guys!"

"Love you too!" they both said.

Chris got back in the car, and Lisa texted her when she was inside.

They headed home.

***Chris and David's apartment***

They came in the house and he locked the door behind them.

She made herself a glass of water, and looked at her watch. 9:02.

David wrapped his arms around her. "You were pretty hot tonight, dealing with that low-life, babe". He kissed her neck.

"New York's finest". She turned and kissed him.

She headed to change into her pajamas, once and for all, and washed her face.

David came in and changed too, and then turned on a movie in bed for them.

They climbed into bed together and she sat behind him so she could scratch his back. She massaged him a little bit and scratched his back and then hugged him to her and gave him a chest rub, while they watched their movie.

He fell asleep before she did, and she let him sleep, and just played with his hair every now and then and scratched his head. She loved loving on him, and made a mental note to be more intentional about it.

She grabbed her phone and texted her brother.

"Have you talked to Lisa tonight?"

"No, is she ok?"

"Yes. The saga continues. Turns out that Meredith Watson, her boss embezzled a lot of money from Fashion House to pay off Nick's victims. She used the stolen funds to pay for Lisa's computer, phone, and medical bills. We went to the Federal building today so that Lisa could give her statement, and David and I went with her. Then tonight she went to the hospital to see about her medical bills, and the guy working at the hospital tried to extort her. He told her that she had to show him her boobs to even see her bills, plus pay him $1200 dollars, and he told her if she didn't do that, he would add $1200 to each day that she didn't, and he told her he could hack into the system and add zeroes as often or as little as he wanted to, whenever he wanted to. So she left, and came to our house. She was hysterical. We got her calmed down, and then the three of us went to the hospital. Our plan was that I was going to use my badge to get him to cooperate and David was going to throw the legal book at him. Instead, he tried to proposition me and Lisa, and he raised the price by $300, and I put him under arrest. He was fired, and at the end of the night, we got her medical bills. Meredith paid them, so that is actually good for Lisa. The federal prosecutor told her today that they weren't going to make Lisa return anything, they were just going to add in the value to Meredith's restitution, and I assume they will subtract it from Nick's. Poor girl has suffered so much in the last week".

"It's a good thing I wasn't there, or I would have killed him. I am so close to demanding that she move back home….or selling this place so that we can move there".

"I understand".

"Thanks for taking care of her again. You are the best aunt to our girls".

"Thanks. They are the greatest nieces anyone could ask for".

She put the phone away, and set her alarm for the next day.

She reached up and turned off the light, and resumed snuggling with David.

Her shoulder that he was laying on went numb, but she didn't care. She loved nights like this with him. She had probably made him go numb more times than she could count. So she just stayed put and kept rubbing his chest.

The movie went off, and she grabbed the remote and turned off the TV. She grabbed the covers as best she could and covered them up, and went to sleep.

***The next morning***

Chris woke up when her alarm went off. She realized that David hadn't moved all night. She laid there with him a little longer, and then eased out from under him and got up and headed to the shower. She spent a little longer in the shower, letting the hot water hit her shoulder that had gone numb from David laying on her. She was all right, she just felt different, and it wasn't till the end of her shower that her shoulder woke up and quit tingling. She was just about to turn the water off, when David stepped in.

He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her, while they got all wet.

"I'm sorry babe. I didn't mean to fall asleep on you last night".

"It's ok, honey".

"Why didn't you wake me up?"

"You were resting so peacefully and lord knows this family could use a lot more peace after the past few weeks. I am just glad we got to spend time together, honey".

They played around in the shower a little bit, and then she got out so that she could get ready for work and get breakfast ready. She kissed him, and shut the shower door behind her.

After she was ready for work, she made them Spanish omelets and his was ready just as he was getting to the table.

"Thank God it's Hump day and this week is almost over…"

"Hear hear!". She handed him his plate, and they ate. She was already soaking the frying pan.

"Babe, Friday night, we have a partner's dinner. Wanna go with me?"

"Sure, sounds fun. Is it formal?"

"I will check when I get to work today, and text you and let you know".

"Sounds good".

They cleared the dishes together and she got her things together to go to work, and he went and grabbed his briefcase and his phone, and they walked out the door together.

They got to the parking lot, and he helped her put her things in her car. And then he wrapped his arms around her, and kissed her.

"I love you more than anything, babe. Have a good day".

"I love you too. See you tonight". She kissed him back and got in the car.

20 minutes later, she was at work.

***Chris and Mary Beth's office***

Chris came in, signed in, filled her water bottle and sat down at her desk. She asked the officer on duty to give her an update on Nathan, the guy from the hospital.

A few minutes later, they brought her the file on him so far.

Mary Beth walked in, just then.

"Morning, Partner."

"Morning, Mary Beth".

"we get a new case already?"

"Kind of. Not officially."

She explained to Mary Beth what happened at the hospital.

"That poor niece of yours. And what a piece of crap this guy sounds like".

"He has been staying in the NYPD hotel since I arrived at the hospital last night, and at some point by early next week, the hospital's IT department is going to give me a list of all the other patients he did this to, so we can file additional charges if possible. I texted Brian about it, he was livid. Absolutely livid."

"I would be too, if that happened to Alice. I don't know which fate would be worse for the person, really, me with my gun, or Harvey, just being a typical dad of a daughter".

Chris decided on a whim to put his name into the system. Nathan Sylvester.

She told it to print off whatever it found, and after about a minute, the printer kicked on, and didn't stop printing for at least 4 minutes. Mary Beth collected the sheets to avoid a paper jam, and was reading some of the charges off to Chris.

"Extortion, blackmail, harassment, extortion, bribery of a police officer, extortion, threat to do bodily harm, extortion…you get the idea".

"So he's a regular guest here at the NYPD hotel. I kind of figured as much".

She went and updated Feldberg, that her niece was the latest victim and that he had tried to get her too, but that it wasn't related to the Nick Granger case. He promised her that he would prosecute to the fullest extent of the law.

She went back to her office, and she and Mary Beth started working on the Subway case.

Her phone went off so she checked it, and saw it was a text from David.

"It's formal Friday night, babe. Go buy yourself the most stunning dress you can find, no matter the cost. You deserve it. Love you".

"Love you more, honey".

She and Mary Beth continued to work on the Subway case, and finalized a lot of the paperwork.

Feldberg had ordered in lunch for the entire staff, and they went and grabbed a plate. There was a lot to choose from-he had ordered the lunch from the restaurant across the street, so there was a make your own salad, grilled chicken and mushrooms, fruit salad, pasta salad, macaroni and cheese, and several dips with chips and raw veggies.

Chris and Mary Beth ate in their office, because it was private. They liked talking to each other without everyone overhearing what they were saying. It was a luxury they didn't have at the 14th, and the reason they used to "conference" all the time. Now they could just shut the door and not have to go to the ladies' room when they wanted to talk privately.

"Mary Beth, do you and Harvey ever plan to do one thing and yet, before you can, he falls asleep on you?"

"Sometimes. If that happens, then I know he's tired, and couldn't help it. It also means it wasn't anything really special, like a party, or going to eat somewhere. If he knows it's important to me, he makes sure to stay awake for it. If it's just us hanging out in the bedroom and he falls asleep, I just tell myself he's really tired, and needed the rest, and there will be other nights".

"We tried to have alone time together 3 nights last week, but we were with Lisa. Then Monday, we said was going to be just us, at home. And Lisa and Ann ended up coming over because of the news thing about Meredith. Not a big deal, I always love seeing them, but giving Lisa that news and seeing her cry put a damper on things because I worried about it all night. Last night was supposed to be a redo, and we end up at the hospital with her. We got home at 9, and I was hopeful that we could still have a nice evening. He turned on a movie and we were laying in the bed together and 25 minutes into the movie, he's passed out. On my shoulder, which went numb, and stayed numb till I got in the shower this morning. I feel like we are living in the Twilight Zone some days".

"welcome to marriage. If it has been several days for Harvey and I to have quality alone time together, I will tell him we need an old-school date. No phones, no interruptions, just us and whatever we choose to allow, whether it's watching a movie, or making dinner together, or going out. No phones. I will take mine with the ringer on in case of emergency with the kids, but I don't get on it unless absolutely necessary".

"That's a good idea".

"It works wonders."

"We can always have a great time no matter what we do, I just feel like we do the same things each time. Like, we always get in the hot tub, or we always go eat and then come home and go to bed, and he is always pampering me. So I am telling myself to be more intentional about pampering him and spoiling him, but something always gets in the way."

Feldberg came in and handed each of them a letter.

"So the brass has been going through the files, and it seems that you two have racked up an impressive amount of overtime. To reward you, the NYPD is giving you both some time off. Please leave all active case files on your desk, and enjoy your time off with my regards. Any court cases you are scheduled to appear in will still take place as scheduled."

"Is this for real?"

"Yes, it is. Bon voyage, ladies. You may leave as soon as you would like to, but no later than 5 today".

Chris looked at Mary Beth. "How much do you get off"

"One week, 3 days. What about you?"

"Two weeks."

They quickly started organizing their desks, and then they signed out, and shut the door, turning off the lights.

Vacation had begun.

They both stopped at the conference room where the lunch was being served and grabbed a water bottle for the ride home.

"Here's to resting peacefully, and hopefully getting some peace, in the next 2 weeks".

"Enjoy it partner".

"You too!".

They walked out the door.


End file.
